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Anybody sell custom bus bars?

Danke said:
There is a very small but vocal community here that says all batteries should have a Class T fuse at the positive terminal.

To be on the safe side, I have come pretty close to that.

But look at nearly all the other set-ups. Will, et al.

The fuse only enters the picture for the last run to the inverters from the battery banks.
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I use Buss 150a breakers between each battery and the pos bus bar to make it easy for maintenance. You really only need T class in front of (expensive) loads.

 
The Good Package said:
I use Buss 150a breakers between each battery and the pos bus bar to make it easy for maintenance. You really only need T class in front of (expensive) loads.

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I wouldn't trust those.

You call them Buss .... that listing name drops Bussmann, who are a very reputable, long time established, quality manufacturer - I would expect their involvement with that breaker is exactly zero.
 
50 ways to skin the cat. Hero or Zero really. I’ll stick with a quality engineered use specific product every time. It’s your house and your family not mine thank goodness. Wonder why we aren’t having the same conversation about the AC components??? Crap might as well hob knob your own breaker panels. That’s certainly doable. How about knife switches? They should be easy to make. Hang a few of those on the side of the house. While you’re at it how about some PVC pipe racking for your arrays would save a bundle. Crap let’s all make our own transfer switches those babies are crazy expensive and I’m sure they would be WAY better than anything from a manufacturer. And finally I say class T fuses everywhere.
 
Danke said:
150 amp surface-mount circuit breakers. 6-48 VDC.
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Buss seems to be pretty adamant when confronted about the 48 volt limit. To be real, most 48 volt systems (lead or lithium) really only sees 48V when totally depleted. I’ve used two Buss breakers for a year now and haven’t seen issues with multiple disconnects. That being said I don’t know what’s going on inside the breaker. They are being replaced this weekend with another breaker that has much more voltage capacity and a huge “arc chute”. Food for thought, If you have ever done stick welding, just see how long an arc you can draw out and that’s typically only about 35 volts DC. EC10C93E-A136-4561-B40F-6BFEA6B7D4C9.jpeg
 
Skypower said:
Buss seems to be pretty adamant when confronted about the 48 volt limit. To be real, most 48 volt systems (lead or lithium) really only sees 48V when totally depleted. I’ve used two Buss breakers for a year now and haven’t seen issues with multiple disconnects. That being said I don’t know what’s going on inside the breaker. They are being replaced this weekend with another breaker that has much more voltage capacity and a huge “arc chute”. Food for thought, If you have ever done stick welding, just see how long an arc you can draw out and that’s typically only about 35 volts DC. View attachment 142407
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I think your on the right track I would question the suitabilities of some of these 48 volt products on systems running 50+ volts ultimately your the final engineer / quality assurance, unless your buying a turn key system installed by a licensed electrician approved by manufacturer to install there equipment your responsible for the system

just because you spend a lot of money on something doesn’t make it safe, your knowledge and tradecraft is what makes it safe
 
Sean Very North said:
I wouldn't trust those.

You call them Buss .... that listing name drops Bussmann, who are a very reputable, long time established, quality manufacturer - I would expect their involvement with that breaker is exactly zero.
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You're paranoid. Eaton purchased Cooper in 2012 which owned the Bussman brand. The exact breaker is on the Eaton website, so there is no need for baseless claims.

I understand the risk of using a 12v or 24v rated breaker / switch with a much higher voltage, but a 48v rated one is perfectly fine to use with 55v and I've been doing it for years with zero issues.

I get it, there are plenty of people with a low risk tolerance who feel safe overbuilding with oversized conductors, name brand bus bars, top of the line fuses, pretty blue Victron boxes on the wall, etc. Nothing wrong with that if it makes you feel safe or you have the cash to burn and want to flex. It makes sense to pony up for *some* components, but I see a lot of people wasting their money.

After doing this for a while and testing many components well beyond their stated limits, my risk tolerance is very high and the tens of thousands of dollars I've saved over the years has certainly been put to good use.
 
The Good Package said:
You're paranoid. Eaton purchased Cooper in 2012 which owned the Bussman brand. The exact breaker is on the Eaton website, so there is no need for baseless claims.

I understand the risk of using a 12v or 24v rated breaker / switch with a much higher voltage, but a 48v rated one is perfectly fine to use with 55v and I've been doing it for years with zero issues.

I get it, there are plenty of people with a low risk tolerance who feel safe overbuilding with oversized conductors, name brand bus bars, top of the line fuses, pretty blue Victron boxes on the wall, etc. Nothing wrong with that if it makes you feel safe or you have the cash to burn and want to flex. It makes sense to pony up for *some* components, but I see a lot of people wasting their money.

After doing this for a while and testing many components well beyond their stated limits, my risk tolerance is very high and the tens of thousands of dollars I've saved over the years has certainly been put to good use.
Click to expand...

Personally, my risk tolerance is very low. Because I don't know anything, don't have years testing components (I am not signing up to be a guinea pig testing components anyway) and given that "sorry, my test failed" isn't going to reassure the hundreds or thousands of people who will be tragically affected should I catch something on fire in the middle of hundreds of thousands of acres of forest.

If I have to pay extra to be ultra safe, I will gladly do so. When I want to be risky, I'll ride my Onewheel. Not when setting up my solar that will affect my family and on a bad day could affect many others.
 
The Good Package said:
You're paranoid. Eaton purchased Cooper in 2012 which owned the Bussman brand. The exact breaker is on the Eaton website, so there is no need for baseless claims.

I understand the risk of using a 12v or 24v rated breaker / switch with a much higher voltage, but a 48v rated one is perfectly fine to use with 55v and I've been doing it for years with zero issues.

I get it, there are plenty of people with a low risk tolerance who feel safe overbuilding with oversized conductors, name brand bus bars, top of the line fuses, pretty blue Victron boxes on the wall, etc. Nothing wrong with that if it makes you feel safe or you have the cash to burn and want to flex. It makes sense to pony up for *some* components, but I see a lot of people wasting their money.

After doing this for a while and testing many components well beyond their stated limits, my risk tolerance is very high and the tens of thousands of dollars I've saved over the years has certainly been put to good use.
Click to expand...
Great, but it's a fake ....

Spot the difference, there's one significant clue

 
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The Good Package said:
You're paranoid. Eaton purchased Cooper in 2012 which owned the Bussman brand. The exact breaker is on the Eaton website, so there is no need for baseless claims.

I understand the risk of using a 12v or 24v rated breaker / switch with a much higher voltage, but a 48v rated one is perfectly fine to use with 55v and I've been doing it for years with zero issues.

I get it, there are plenty of people with a low risk tolerance who feel safe overbuilding with oversized conductors, name brand bus bars, top of the line fuses, pretty blue Victron boxes on the wall, etc. Nothing wrong with that if it makes you feel safe or you have the cash to burn and want to flex. It makes sense to pony up for *some* components, but I see a lot of people wasting their money.

After doing this for a while and testing many components well beyond their stated limits, my risk tolerance is very high and the tens of thousands of dollars I've saved over the years has certainly been put to good use.
Click to expand...

Good to know someone else has been trouble free using Buss brand. There must be many thousands in use in marine 48v systems. I came across across a video that Will made “Top 10 beginner mistakes” and he said not to use that exact model for 48V systems. There’s probably a bad rap for the some of the knock offs that are definitely problematic. The other reason I’m swapping it out is for simple one switch, simultaneous DC power ON/OFF control of both both inverters yet each still has 200 amp limiter. A friend has a yacht and is upgrading to 48V so the old breakers are still going to have use.
 
Skypower said:
Good to know someone else has been trouble free using Buss brand. There must be many thousands in use in marine 48v systems. I came across across a video that Will made “Top 10 beginner mistakes” and he said not to use that exact model for 48V systems. There’s probably a bad rap for the some of the knock offs that are definitely problematic. The other reason I’m swapping it out is for simple one switch, simultaneous DC power ON/OFF control of both both inverters yet each still has 200 amp limiter. A friend has a yacht and is upgrading to 48V so the old breakers are still going to have use.
Click to expand...
Bussmann do make very high quality products, but the one previously linked to for sale on Amazon is NOT a BussMann made product, its a cheap and nasty copy.
 
Sean Very North said:
Bussmann do make very high quality products, but the one previously linked to for sale on Amazon is NOT a BussMann made product, its a cheap and nasty copy.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm sure there is a thriving black market of counterfeit Buss breakers out there. Keep doubling down, it's humorous. Keep relying on stock web photos and disregarding the fact that Buss' design has changed many times over the years to support your baseless claims.

No point wasting my breath further with you, as you've already made up your mind that you can't possibly be wrong about something.
 
Skypower said:
Good to know someone else has been trouble free using Buss brand. There must be many thousands in use in marine 48v systems. I came across across a video that Will made “Top 10 beginner mistakes” and he said not to use that exact model for 48V systems. There’s probably a bad rap for the some of the knock offs that are definitely problematic. The other reason I’m swapping it out is for simple one switch, simultaneous DC power ON/OFF control of both both inverters yet each still has 200 amp limiter. A friend has a yacht and is upgrading to 48V so the old breakers are still going to have use.
Click to expand...

I recall Will saying using that *style* of breaker is risky due to the low quality of the countless off-brands flooding Amazon that people are attracted to for the low price. Most trip well below their rated spec and some don't trip at all (even worse).

I got my start in marine / car audio builds and Buss breakers are solid with fantastic water resistance. I won't even use Blue Sea's version of the breaker since they aren't as water resistant as Buss and their quality has taken a big hit over the past couple of years.
 
The Good Package said:
Yes, I'm sure there is a thriving black market of counterfeit Buss breakers out there. Keep doubling down, it's humorous. Keep relying on stock web photos and disregarding the fact that Buss' design has changed many times over the years to support your baseless claims.

No point wasting my breath further with you, as you've already made up your mind that you can't possibly be wrong about something.
Click to expand...
Do you genuinely believe that the item you provided a link to is genuine quality Bussmann product ?
 
Sean Very North said:
Do you genuinely believe that the item you provided a link to is genuine quality Bussmann product ?
Click to expand...

Of course they're real. I've purchased hundreds of these breakers over the years from many different suppliers, including from the Amazon link I provided (I'm the reason they're out of stock). The breaker looks exactly like the one on the Eaton website (link below) with the correct rating printed and NOT the generic stock Amazon photo. I ALSO TEST THEM before deploying to production.

Any other questions?

 
The Good Package said:
You know they've lost the debate when all they have left is "you'll be sorry..."
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Completely disagree you’ve lost the debate when you repeat the same talking points. We just chalk it up to another hopeless amateur that refuses to heed good advice. A total waste of time. Moving on.
 
jfpetesn said:
Completely disagree you’ve lost the debate when you repeat the same talking points. We just chalk it up to another hopeless amateur that refuses to heed good advice. A total waste of time. Moving on.
Click to expand...

There is no shame in wasting your money on pretty blue designer bus bars and constantly being scared of imaginary fires, as long as you feel SAFE. I hope all of that paper and those cardboard boxes on top of your homemade Costco-special battery "rack" don't spontaneously combust! Fire is scary! Your batteries may not be bolted down to *anything*, but at least those conductors are nice and thick for the occasional 50a they may pull!

Irrational fear is the quintessential sign of inexperience, and your tagline is quite ironic.
 
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The Good Package said:
There is no shame in wasting your money on pretty blue designer bus bars and constantly being scared of imaginary fires, as long as you feel SAFE. I hope all of that paper and those cardboard boxes on top of your homemade Costco-special battery "rack" don't spontaneously combust! Fire is scary! Your batteries may not be bolted down to *anything*, but at least those conductors are nice and thick for the occasional 50a they may pull!

Irrational fear is the quintessential sign of inexperience, and your
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
For the love of God, you'd think this was a political discussion rather than people talking about bus bars.
 
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